Soldatenfriedhof, Langemark [B]

The German war cemetery of Langemark (also spelt 'Langemarck') is near the village of Langemark, part of the municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle, in the Belgian province of West Flanders. More than 44,000 soldiers are buried here. The village was the scene of the first gas attacks by the German army, marking the beginning of the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915.

During the First Battle of Ypres (1914) in World War I, inexperienced German infantry suffered severe casualties when they made a futile frontal attack on allied positions near Langemark and were checked by experienced French infantry and British riflemen. Contrary to popular myth, only fifteen percent of the German soldiers involved in the Battle of Langemark were schoolboys and students. Legend has it that the German infantry sang the first stanza of what later (1919) became their national anthem "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles," as they charged.

The cemetery, which evolved from a small group of graves from 1915, has seen numerous changes and extensions. It was dedicated in 1932. Today, visitors find a mass grave near the entrance. This comrades' grave contains 24,917 servicemen, including the Ace Werner Voss. Between the oak trees, next to this mass grave, are another 10,143 soldiers (including 2 British soldiers killed in 1918). The 3,000 school students who were killed during the First Battle of Ypres are buried in a third part of the cemetery. At the rear of the cemetery is a sculpture of four mourning figures by Professor Emil Krieger. The group was added in 1956, and is said to stand guard over the fallen. The cemetery is maintained by the German War Graves Commission, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.

The Langemarck legend
Langemarck was destroyed during the 1st Divisions repulse of the German reserve infantry on 22 October. Stories that German student soldiers marched into battle singing songs are myth, although heavy casualties, owing to inadequate tactics, were suffered

The 22 October the legend of Langemarck came into being. According to a German OHL communiqué on 11 November 1914, in the action of 22 October 1914, German soldiers had marched singing "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, über alles in der Welt" as they went into battle suffering heavy losses. The battle actually took part at Bixschoote. But German propaganda chose the more Germanic sounding Langemarck as the site of the battle. According to regimental histories the song was “Wacht am Rhein”, and it was sung only to identify other units in the heavy mist. Several German regiments (206th Reserve Infantry Regiment and 204th Reserve Infantry Regiment) sang this in battle when attacking 1st Division. Throughout 1914 battles, regimental histories made constant reference to recognition songs. German casualties were heavy in assaults on the 1st division. Some German units, over several days fighting, may have lost 70 percent of their effectiveness to British rifle fire.

Whereas John French resolved to maintain the defensive, in the south, the French under the newly promoted 'Commander of the North' General Victor d'Urbal, ordered French forces to counter attack against the German XXIII Corps encroaching on Dixmude, a town east of Nieuport and south of Ostend. To do so, de Mitry's Cavalry Corps and the 42nd French division and the Belgian Army Detachment, renamed the French Eighth Army in November, were to pass through British 1st division lines. The attack failed and the French were driven back through British lines between Langemarck and Steenstraat. The advancing German XXIII Corps came into contact with the unsupported British division, and they shelled Langemarck heavily. The town was destroyed. The 5th Brigade of the 2nd British Division pushed into the gaps created by the retreating French and succeeded, through unsupported rifle fire, in repulsing German infantry attempting to overrun the town. The Germans made a final attempt that night, setting farms alight to help direct their artillery fire. But they did so only 50 yards form British trenches. The German attack, so close to British infantry positions, was a disaster. Early in the morning, counter attacks by ad-hoc British battle groups retook lost ground and releasing prisoners taken during the German assault and capturing 800 Germans. Almost 500 Germans had been killed in exchange for 47 British dead and 187 wounded. To the right of 2nd Division, enemy formations attempted to seize Becelaere. RFC aerial reports spotted the approach, and German columns advancing in open formation were shot down in large numbers by 21st Brigades defences.

The arrival of increased French reinforcements and German losses convinced the German operations staff a breakthrough in the immediate future was unlikely. The arrival of Grossetti's French 42nd division, which joined the Belgian Army at Nieuport, and the 17th and 18th French divisions of the French IX Corps under General Dubois which was arriving west and south of Ypres. In order to relieve the under-pressure I Corps, d'Urbal and Foch agreed with Henry Wilson, the then Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), to launch a general offensive. The Belgians and 42nd division would advance eastward form Nieuport with the support of British naval gunfire. The Dixmunde garrison would take Thourout and Guignabaudet's 17th division, with two of de Mistry's Cavalry divisions towards the rail hub at Roulers in order to reach the Passchendaele-Becelaere line. Owing to German offensive operations, the offensive was delayed.